Lineman&#39;s climbers



May 1, 1962 A. F. BARTON 3,032,141

LINEMANS CLIMBERS Filed April 25, 1960 7.5 Flatw w FIG. 4.

11v ARTHUR F. BARTON flan 7v 7 ATTORNEYSi United States Patent 3,032,141 LlNEMANS CLIMBERS Arthur Franklin Barton, R0. Drawer 899, Harlan, Ky.,

assignor of forty percent to J. Crawford Boston, Harlau, Ky.

Filed Apr. 25, 1960, Ser. No. 24,333 2 Claims. (Cl. 182-221) The present invention is linemans climbers for electric power poles or towers and has for an object the provision of climbers which may be used on both wood and metal poles and eliminates the necessity of removal when the lineman is walking from pole to pole.

Conventional climbers which have been used over the years include the notoriously objectionable sharp spurs sometimes called gaffs, and only sporadic attempts have been made to produce improved climbers. None of these attempts has resulted in commercially acceptable climbers. Objects of this invention, therefore, include complete elimination of the use of spurs or gaiis and to substitute climber grips which are especially adapted for engagement with pole or tower attached supports, the grips being attached either to conventional climbing harness or directly to the work shoes of the lineman; and to provide climbers which will not damage the poles, will materially increase the safety factor in ascending and descending a pole or tower, and are more comfortable to the feet and legs of the user.

Other objects of the invention will be manifest from the following description of the present preferred forms of the invention, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a pair of climbers constructed in accordance with the present invention illustrating their application;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary elevational view of one of the climbers including the grip of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of a climber embodying the grip of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a front or rear elevational view of the same;

FIG. 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of FIG. 3 looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary elevational view of a climber with attached grip, the latter being engaged with a support on a pole;

FIG. 7 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 7-7 of FIG. 6 looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary elevational view of a climber embodying a modified form of grip; and

FIG. 9 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 9-9 of FIG. 8 looking in the direction of the arrows.

In order to illustrate the application of this invention, there is shown in the drawing a pole 10 which is of conventional construction and may be made of wood or metal. The pole has mounted therein, on both sides, supports 11 each of which consists of a bolt or spike provided with a discal head 12.

The invention, in a preferred form, is adapted for use with conventional pole climber harness including a onepiece narrow metal plate formed to provide a leg iron 13 and foot iron 14. Each of the irons is equipped with a loop 15. The loop of the leg iron is located near the top of the iron and is adapted for the reception of a leg strap 16. The loop of the foot iron projects from its uppermost part and has a foot embracing strap 17 trained therethrough. With conventional climbers a spur or gaff is mounted on the lower terminal of the leg iron, at approximately its jointure with the foot iron, its pointed free terminal pending below the bottom of the foot iron. With the present invention the spur is omitted and replaced by a grip assembly, generally designated 18.

This assembly includes an arm 19, one face of which is flat and provided with an oblong or elongated projection 2i). This projection is secured to the leg iron by upsetting a projection through a countersunk hole in the leg iron, as advantageously illustrated in FIGS. 5, 7 and 9. The assembly further includes a metal strap 21 which issues from opposite margins of the lower free end of the arm 19, to provide an elongated cup or socket as shown to advantage in FIGS. 4, 7 and 9. The lower end of the strap, as clearly appears from said figures, pends in spaced relation to leg and foot irons at approximately the jointure of said leg and foot irons and appreciably above the bottom of said irons. By this arrangement, the grip strap is carried in a position above the sole of the shoe of the user so as to permit normal walking of the lineman, avoiding the necessity of removing the climbing harness when going from pole to pole. The grip straps 21 are adapted to be engaged with the pole supports 11, as shown to advantage in FIGS. 1 and 7. When in position on the support, the intermediate portion of the strap, which is arched upwardly as indicated at 22, is engaged on the shank of the support between the head 12 and the pole 10. Preferably, each of the strap 21 is reversely folded to provide blunt terminals 23.

In the form of invention illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9, the grip consists of an inverted envelope or cup 21' which opens downwardly, the outer side of the cup being arched upwardly as indicated at 22'.

The supports used in carrying out the present inven tion are preferably driven into the pole to a point leaving a relatively short space between the outer periphery of the pole and the inner face of the discal head 12 of the support, to eliminate the possibility of anyone climbing the pole without the use of climbing grips made in accordance with the teaching of the present invention. It is obvious that with the present invention the grips are slidably engaged and disengaged from the supports with facility. In using the grips, the pole is not mutilated and, in view of the locus of the grips on the shoe of the wearer, locomotion is permitted in a normal manner. If desired, the grip may be attached directly to the shoe and, when so used, would assume the approximate position shown in FIG. 2 of the drawing. f

It is to be understood that various changes may be made in this invention within the scope of the claims hereto appended.

What is claimed is:

I. A linemans climber, in combination with a leg and foot-embracing harness and pole-carried conventional headed bolts, a grip assembly included in said harness embodying a laterally elongated cup adapted for the reception of the head of the pole-carried bolt, the side wall of the elongated cup next to the pole providing an upwardly arched configuration for engagement with the shank of said bolt when the head of the bolt is in the cup to permit easy engagement of the cup with the bolt and allowing rocking movement of the cup on the bolt as a climber ascends and descends the pole.

2. A linemans climber, in combination with a leg and foot-embracing harness and pole-carried conventional headed 'bolts, with leg and foot irons included in 3 4; said combination, and a grip assembly mounted on each References Cited in the file of this patent leg iron at a point slightly above the bottom of the foot UNITED STATES PATENTS iron and formed integral with the leg lron, the assetn- O bly comprising a laterally elongated cup member adapted 1,234,596 July 24, 1/17 for reception of the head of a bolt, one wall of the cup 5 2,031,615 F Y 1936 being arched upwardly to fix the apex of the arch mid- 2,357,159 BePmngmn 29, 1944 Way the ends of the cup, the arched wall being engage- 2,604,250 Tumble July 22, 1952 able with the shank of the bolt when the head of the bolt is in the cup to permit rocking movement of the FOREIGN PATENTS foot as a climber ascends and descends the pole. 209,792 Great Britain Jan. 22, 1924 

